Are the Raiders a 'Healthy' Franchise? Pt. 4

A well-respected NFL executive told our Hondo Carpenter Sr. the five key things that you judge to know if your franchise is healthy. This series, a Raider's Today exclusive, is a look into how the Las Vegas Raiders fit within those five indicators.

Oct 9, 2023; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Robert Spillane (41) celebrates with team mates after making an interception against the Green Bay Packers during the second quarter at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports | Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Recently, our Las Vegas Raiders beat writer Hondo Carpenter Sr. and his wife, Shannon, had dinner with a widely respected NFL executive. That dinner revealed a fascinating revelation.

The executive told Carpenter what he considered the five indicators of a healthy franchise.

The fourth indicator of a healthy franchise is the right roster. Carpenter called it "vitally important" and elaborated what it means to have the right roster.

"If you run a 3-4 defense, and you've got a great 4-3 defensive end, and I mean somebody who's great, and you sign him and say, 'Okay, you're going to be a defensive end in my 3-4.' Well, the difference is, in the 3-4 now, he's going to be standing up, he's not gonna have his hand in the dirt," Carpenter said on the "Las Vegas Insider Podcast." "And he's gotta do more pass coverage, potentially. But what if he's a 3-4 [defensive end] that isn't good at pass coverage, maybe he's a good 4-3 [defensive end] because he's great at run coverage and he's great in pursuing the quarterback. So you gotta have the right roster this goes back to management stability and coaching stability, where you're drafting guys for your system.

"This is why it's not just having big name players, you'll always see people [say] 'Oh, go sign this free agent' or 'Oh, go sign that one.' But if you're a team that wants to run a lot of press coverage, what that means is your corners are up on the line of scrimmage taking on guys one-on-one. Well, there are some great corners who are great in zone, but they're not great coverage guys. ... It's gotta have the right roster. This is why stability goes back to [building]. ... You have to build guys to understand your system."

The Raiders used this offseason and the draft to build the right roster. A big, physical cornerback was needed to fit the Raiders' vision of the defense, so they went out and drafted Decamerion Richardson out of Mississippi State -- 6-foot-2 with 4.3 speed. The Raiders wanted another Maxx Crosby, Robert Spillane-like presence on defense, so they selected Ohio State linebacker Tommy Eichenberg.

The Raiders wanted to improve their blocking and get deeper, so they signed interior lineman Cody Whitehair and Andrus Peat, resigned Andre James at center, and added blocking tight end Harrison Bryant. Drafting plug-and-play starter Jackson Powers-Johnson to play the interior was draft-day brilliance from General Manager Tom Telesco.

Generational tight end Brock Bowers was taken in the first round, giving the Raiders another piece to make their offense more vertical, fulfilling a goal for head coach Antonio Pierce.

For this Raiders team's direction and vision, they have the right roster.

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